Seeing All Those Families

Gary's business celebrated yesterday with their annual Christmas party. I was struck again and again by how many employees said, "It's SO NICE to see all the families here, to see all the kids!" The owner, too, commented to us as well as to the whole assembly about how great it was to see all the spouses and the kids. Such a happy day!

And it is nice to see how the bosses and co-workers enjoy seeing each other's families. It is super that the company includes kids in the Christmas party and the annual zoo outing. I like it that they do this.

And yet, there's this little voice in me that says it's sad that families are separated so much of the time. It's sad that mommies and daddies are away from their children for their workday. It's sad that families are not working together in their cottage industry and the garden and the kitchen and the workshop, maintaining a home and business together.

Yes, it is a great blessing to have a job with an income, and a great blessing to be in a family-friendly work environment. But wouldn't it be lovely if families were together so that a "family-friendly work environment" seemed oxymoronic to most of us?